Television programs are a major source of entertainment, news and education for consumers. Coupled with the ever declining price of television receivers (also known as television sets or often more simply referred to as televisions) and improving reliability and quality, the television has become ubiquitous, particularly around the home. Many homeowners have television sets in two or three rooms of their home. One prime placement is the homeowner's bedroom, where the homeowner may recline in comfort, be entertained by a television program, and be lulled to sleep by that media.
The television may be supported by a special bracket to a wall stud, on an audio-visual rack located in the bedroom or placed atop the bedroom dresser. Rarely does one have enough space to mount a free-standing large diameter cathode ray tube type television in one's bedroom. That type of television is quite large in size. The newer technology flat screen televisions, such as the plasma TV's and the LCD TV's are touted as space savers, televisions that can be mounted flat against the wall or even be hung from the wall. In many homes of a married couple one of the two spouses becomes the self-appointed arbiter of decorative tastefulness. What represents pleasing technology to one, often represents undesirable unsightly mind-numbing clutter to the other. The latter person doesn't want to see a television in the bedroom.
Rather than provoke conflict, a possible cure for the problem was provided in the past by storing (or hiding) the television behind closed doors in a cabinet, referred to as an armoire. The doors present to view panels of attractively finished wood while preventing one from viewing the confined television, effectively hiding the television. Overall, the armoire typically is a fine looking piece of tall furniture with doors, drawers and shelves and is a familiar sight to business travelers who stay as guests in the finer hotels of major cities. Not only does that piece of furniture contain a cabinet for the TV at an appropriate height for viewing, but located beneath the TV cabinet the armoire also contains a number of dresser drawers in which clothing and like articles may be stored. When one wants to watch a television program, the doors of the armoire are swung open exposing the television panel display to view. Otherwise, the armoire doors are closed and the television set remains out of sight and out of mind.
However, existing armoires are somewhat large and take up a considerable amount of space in a room. Designed for the bulky cathode ray tube type television receivers, the Armoire is too much for newer technology flat-screen television receivers, such as those containing the plasma type and liquid crystal type (“LCD”) displays.
At this point in the description, some clarification of the technology may avoid possible confusion. As used herein the term “flat screen display” or “flat screen television” refers to the plasma televisions and the LCD televisions, which are presently about four inches thick. The term does not refer to and excludes the cathode ray tube (“CRT”) type televisions, even though the surface of the front side of some CRT's are flat and even though some sellers in print advertising may refer to the display of a CRT type television that the retailer is using as a loss leader as a flat screen picture tube or display. In the latter, the CRT and, hence, the set is bulky in comparison to the picture-frame like geometry of plasma and LCD displays.
One obvious solution to the bulkiness of the armoire is to support the flat screen TV onto a movable platform or lift, referred to as a television lift, and integrates the movable TV into the furniture or into the wall. Such platforms or lifts are available from a number of sources including a company in China, which manufactures the model KF5004E lift used in the embodiment of the invention described herein, Zongkers Custom Furniture, Inc. of Omaha, Nebr., Cabinet Tronix of San Diego, Calif., and Auton Motorized Systems of Valencia, Calif., among others, which are advertised on the Internet. Thus, some furniture manufacturers, such as the foregoing manufacturers, may design or make available a piece of high quality furniture to incorporate a television elevator or, as variously termed, lift on which to install a flat screen television. Those lifts are typically operated by remote control using a hand held wireless (infra-red) controller, distinct from the remote control belonging to the television, and also include a manual switch, that is used as an alternate control should the remote control fail. The television is concealed inside a vertical channel or cavity inside the furniture. When the up button of the remote control is pressed, the television pops up, rises up from the cavity in the furniture and locks in place when the limit position is attained. The screen of the TV is exposed for viewing. When the down button of the controller is pressed, the television slowly descends back into the furniture. The top or cover section of the platform is a piece of the wood of the furniture. When the television reaches the lower position, concealed in the lower portion of the dresser (or other furniture), the top of the wood platform is flush with (and visually merges into) the remainder of the top surface of the furniture.
The foregoing arrangement may satisfy a spouse who is clutter-critical by keeping the flat-screen television out of sight when not in use. However, the plasma televisions are quite heavy. Although the television lifts are advertised as being capable of moving 120 pounds, which is considerably greater than the weight of presently known plasma televisions, the lifts are operated with gears, and gears eventually wear and may fail. Should the gears break, the lift may descend rapidly and strike the bottom, subjecting the television set to a large shock sufficient to damage the television. To prevent such an event requires diligent preventive maintenance, such as frequent inspection of the gears. Most persons, however, would prefer to “set it up and forget it,” forgetting to carry out that maintenance. It is desirable to reduce stress on the lift, if possible, because a reduction in stress adds to the reliability and lifetime of the lift.
Further, installation of the television on the lift is not very easy. The procedure becomes problematic if the television is accidentally dropped during installation. Ideally, to avoid that possibility, handling of the television should be minimized. Moreover, nothing is ever permanent. Should one wish to upgrade to a newer larger size plasma TV to replace one that's earlier been installed or simply to replace a plasma TV that's failed, one must proceed through the installation process again with the attendant risks.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to camouflage a display stand as another product, such as a bedroom mirrored dresser to prevent a valuable or an unsightly article from being seen when not in use.
A further object of the invention is to conceal a television when not in use.
A still further object of the invention is concealment of a flat screen television or other article inside bedroom or living room furniture, such as a dresser and mirror combination, referred to herein as a mirrored dresser, or an armoire, when the TV is not in use.
An additional object of the invention is to conceal a television when not in use, particularly a plasma TV, while maintaining the television stationary in position on furniture.
And a still additional object of the invention is to ease the installation of and/or replacement of a plasma TV in a mirrored dresser camouflaged television stand.